I bought my Longines HydroConquest 41, from the perspective on someone that never had a watch collection. I knew that the 1st cornerstone piece in my new collection would be a Rolex Explorer. I knew there would be times that I wouldn’t want to wear that watch out, because of the attention it might attract. And I knew that it might take awhile to find an Explorer that I would be willing to buy. I so decided to buy the watch I would wear when I didn’t want to wear an expensive watch… seems logical.
The Longines HydroConquest 41, had a lot of the features that I like in other watches, like the applied Arabic numerals from the Explorer, a ceramic bezel with no minute tick like the Black Bay, a Submariner or the Fifty Fathoms, and kept time well within COSC levels at a little over $1200.
It also had a few things I didn’t like, for example the round 5 minute markers, especially at 3 & 9; a date window that I can’t see at watch reading distance; and the unbalanced design. Oddly, I was able to eliminate 2 of my biggest complaints by adding another feature I don’t generally like, a 2.5x cyclops that balanced the face and made the date window useful.
Honestly it is a phenomenal watch… on its own.
When I purchased it I didn’t own another diver, so the timing bezel was a “needed” feature, but now it creates duplication. And if I were to purchase a Tudor Black Bay 41 Monochrome, which I would like to do, the cheaper watch I would were in it’s place would be a more capable diver at 300m than it would and keep as good as time!
The only issues I have with the Longines HydroConquest are actually the reasons I bought it. It can fill in for a Explorer or a Black Bay, while still being a quality watch, but without the brand.
I jokingly refer to it as my “Stuntwatch”. When you see it along side an Explorer or a Black Bay it looks like an actor/actress next to their stunt double. On their own they are attractive, but not a movie star. However, from a distance or at a glance you can’t tell them apart. I think as my collection grows I may begin to view the Longines HydroConquest 41 as part of the cast, but maybe not part of the collection.
It’s also possible, like so many times in my life, that what I knew for a fact in the past turns out to be entirely wrong. I can see a world where I wear expensive watches regardless of a potential threat, and one where I wear my white G-shock with a suit, and another where I realize that a watch that can do everything is the perfect tool watch.
Basically what I am saying is that, if I had thought about curating a collection from the start, I wouldn’t have bought the HydroConquest, but without it, I wouldn’t know what I know now, and I wouldn’t have experienced what is clearly a great watch (made better with a cyclops)… so that might have been a mistake.